


Dragon

by Nishinoya4Yuu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 22:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13867422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nishinoya4Yuu/pseuds/Nishinoya4Yuu
Summary: Nishinoya is one of the lucky few to have a soulmate. But he doesn't think he's lucky. The idea that fate or destiny or whatever is going to force him to love somebody pisses him off and makes him sick. Untill he meets Ryuu....





	Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> There is some minor character physical description related stuff that could be considered spoilers for flashbacks that happen in the manga. None of it's huge or important to the manga story-line, however. Just wanted to give fair warning.

Nishinoya didn't remember it, but his parents had told him the story countless times. When he was about 5 months old, a mark that looked like a dragon appeared on his inner right thigh. It meant his soulmate had been born. He wasn't going to be alone in the world. Somewhere out there, a person a few months younger than him existed, born with a mark matching his own, somewhere on their body. His soulmate. His destiny. His fate. 

When he was about 3 he excitedly told his mother, “Mom! I've got a dragon!” 

“Yes, you do, sweetheart,” his mother laughed. 

“It's so cool!” Yuu yelled. 

“It's very cool, Yuu. Do you know why?” His mother softly questioned. 

“Dragons are cool!” Yuu yelled as he splashed the water in the bathtub. 

“It's so _cool_ , sweetie, because it means you have a soulmate,” she explained. 

“What's dat?” the small boy tilted his head at her, his large amber eyes excited to learn. 

His mother reached out and poured a bit of shampoo on her hands and then gently began washing Yuu's hair, “It means there is one single person made just for you.”

“Like...a friend?” 

“The best friend you'll ever have, Yuu,” she laughed. “Yuu, you probably don't understand right now, but it means there's a person out there you are destined...er....will end up loving. You and that person were made for each other.” 

Noya's small brow furrowed, “You mean I _have_ to?” He scrunched up his nose. “What if I don't want to?” 

His mother gently leaned him back and cupped water over his hair, “You'll want to, Yuu. It's very special. Most people don't have a soulmate. You're very lucky, sweetheart.” 

“I don't want to!” He had made up his mind. Then he considered, as he leaned back in the water. “Are you and dad like that?” 

She laughed again, “No sweetie, we just had to choose each other and hope for the best.” 

“Then I don't want too! I don't like the dragon, mommy. I don't like it,” Yuu started to scrub at his inner thigh, hoping he could wash it away. 

His mother scooped him, sopping wet, into her arms and hugged him, “Oh sweetie, you can't make it go away.” She patted his head as he cried, “I love you, Yuu, and your soulmate will too. It's fine, sweetie, shhhhhh.”  
~

Noya managed to do most of his growing up without really thinking about his soulmate. He was careful not to let anybody see his mark, but it didn't bother him mostly. He realized that as long as nobody could see, nobody would know and so he could flout destiny easily enough. 

When Noya started high school, though, he knew he needed to be extra careful. He'd had a few close calls in the volleyball club room at his middle school, so he started to keep the bottom of it covered with a bandage. Luckily it was so far up his thigh that if he wore boxer briefs it was mostly covered and securely hidden. And he was thankful for that because he swore not a living soul would ever see it again. 

His first day at Karasuno High School, he popped his head into the 2nd gymnasium to meet his new volleyball teammates. His fellow first years were mostly quiet, except for one guy. He was loud, and brash and had bleach blonde hair. Noya instantly liked him. 

“Hi! I'm Nishinoya Yuu!” Noya smiled brightly at the loud boy he'd decided to befriend. 

The guy grinned back at him, “Tanaka, Tanaka Ryuunosuke.” 

“Well then, Ryuu!! What do you say we wipe the floor with the senpai in this match?” Noya proclaimed. 

Tanaka sized him up, “What do you play?” 

“I'm a libero!” Noya proudly proclaimed. “Pretty good one too!” 

Another 1st year commented, “Aren't you from Chidoriyama? That's a powerhouse, why'd you come here?” 

“Yeah!” Noya proudly pointed at himself, “I won the Best Libero award! And I'm here because the black gakuran is so cool! I got stuck with a blazer in middle school, and I hated it!” 

“You came here because you liked the uniform?” 

Noya's eyes glistened, “Yeah! It must be fate that it was so close to home too!” 

Tanaka's eyes widened, “Holy shit, Best Libero? That's awesome!” He grinned, “Great to meet ya!” 

And Noya was right, too. They proceeded to kick the ass of the team full of upperclassmen. Nishinoya was goddamned unstoppable. And his new friend was a pretty great attacker for a 1st year. Their chemistry on the court was immediately evident. Heaven help whichever team stood in their way a few years down the road. 

Everything was great. Noya'd found a true friend, and a fantastic teammate. Him and Ryuu fell into a comfortable friendship. Some days they'd hang out at Tanaka's house and bug his sister. Other days they'd hang out at Noya's and try to avoid his grandpa and the never ending stream of young women he'd bring through, draped on his arm. It was never a dull moment with Ryuu. Noya loved every minute of it. 

A few months into their friendship Tanaka sprang his newest idea on Noya. “Noya-san, I think I'm gonna shave my head. You know, start fresh!” 

Noya was sitting on the floor of Ryuu's bedroom, with his back against the table where he should have been doing homework. He set down his magazine and leaned back onto the table, so he was looking up at Ryuu's face. “Huh? Why? Your hair is so cool!” 

Ryuu looked down at Noya, “I don't know, man. I feel like, I just need a fresh start with the team and everything.” 

Noya raised an eyebrow, “And a bald head is the way to do that?” Ryuu just locked eyes with Noya and looked determined. So that was that, then. “Alright, alright. Go for it, man! I'm sure you'll look cool!” Noya thought for a moment, “Though...one of us should totally carry on your tradition.” 

Ryuu's eyes lit up as he looked down at Noya and grinned, “I've still got the stuff to do it. You wanna bleach yer hair, Noya-san?” 

Noya slid off the table and then jumped up. “Sure, why the hell not?! Let's do this shit!” 

In the bathroom, Noya looked at his hair in the mirror and tried to decide if he wanted to go totally blonde, or just put a streak in his hair or something. His grandpa had dyed a streak in Noya's hair once when he was a kid. It hadn't been long after his parents died and Noya had been a handful for his grandpa to try to raise alone. He couldn't remember why his grandpa had done that to him when he was a kid, but he remembered it looked kind of cool. 

“You're gonna have to wash your hair first. I don't think this will work right if you've got gel in yer hair,” Tanaka said as he read the back of the bleaching powder packet. 

“Yeah, okay, okay!” Noya said and got down on his knees in front of the bath and leaned over the edge. He turned on the water and started washing his hair under the faucet. 

Tanaka set down the bleaching stuff and instead grabbed the clippers to trim his own hair. His sister, Saeko, usually did this for him, but it couldn't be that hard, right? “Yo, Noya-san, after yer done, you wanna help me here?” 

Noya glanced over at Ryuu, who had already begun running the trimmer over his head with the shortest guard on the blade. His curly blonde locks fell off in clumps, falling all over the floor. “Yeah, sure,” Noya answered as he turned off the water and squeezed some of the excess water from his hair. 

“I can't reach the back well,” Tanaka said as he thrust the clippers into Noya's hand. To make it easier for Noya to reach, he plopped down on the floor with am “omph.” 

Noya moved in with the clippers and carefully tilted Ryuu's head forward. He had literally no idea what he was doing, but it couldn't be that hard. Noya noticed part of a birthmark on the nape of Ryuu's neck. He'd never noticed it before, with all that hair it hadn't been visible. Noya's curiosity got the better of him, “I didn't know you had a birthmark on your head, Ryuu.” 

Ryuu casually dropped the bomb, “Oh yeah, it's my soulmate mark. It's mostly hidden with my hair. I...actually totally forgot about it. Dude, is it gonna be weird with that visible on my head now? Shit....” 

Noya laughed, “Nah, it'll be fine. Besides, don't you want your soulmate to find you?” 

“Oh yeah. I guess. Never really thought about it. I just kinda figured it would happen on its own, er somethin',” Ryuu mused. 

Noya carefully ran the clippers over the area near Ryuu's mark and offered, “That's cool you've got a soulmate, I guess. Most people don't. I kind of hate the idea though. Fate or somethin' telling you who you have to love, I don't know, man.” 

Ryuu grunted, “I see yer point. But I don't think it's like that. I don't think you're forced into anything, it just kinda happens? Er something. Anyway, whatever. I'm not worried about it. So....you....don't have one then?” 

Noya's hand stilled for a second before he decided he was safe with Ryuu, it was fine for him to know. He finished up trimming the hair on Ryuu's head while he offered, “Yeah, I've got a....” he froze. Ryuu's mark came into focus and he'd recognize it anywhere. His dragon. The mark on Ryuu's head was Noya's dragon...Ryuu....was Noya's dragon.... He pulled himself out of it, “Yeah, sorry. I meant to say I've got a cousin who has a mark, but that's the only one in the family.” He paused and looked at Ryuu's mark and then offered, sincerely, “But yours is really neat lookin', Ryuu!!” 

Ryuu beamed, “Yeah?! I'm actually named after it,” he laughed. “I guess my soulmate is older than me, because I was born with the mark. So at least I got a cool name out of it.” He stood up and ran his palms over his freshly buzz-cut head. “This is cool. Thanks, Noya-san!” 

Noya looked at him and agreed, “Yeah, Ryuu. You look really cool.” And he did. But that was nothing new. Noya'd always thought Ryuu was cool. So it wasn't like it was this new knowledge pulling him towards Ryuu or anything. 

“Your turn!” Ryuu declared as he pulled on some cheap plastic gloves and started reading the directions on the bleach. “It says your hair needs to be dry though. Nee-san's hair dryer should be out there,” Ryuu nodded with his head out of the shower and into the adjoining room with the sink and washer and dryer. 

Noya stepped out and dug for the hair dryer in Saeko's mess of beauty products. Ryuu carefully measured out the developer while Noya worked the hot air from the dryer through his hair. He shouted over the noise, “Yo! Ryuu!! I don't want to dye all of it!! Just like a streak in the front, so you don't need a lot!!” 

Ryuu nodded and then started mixing in the bleaching powder while Noya finished drying his hair and then joined Ryuu in the shower again, grabbing the stool by the bath to sit on. “So like...what do you want?” Ryuu asked as he turned to Noya. He lifted his gloved hand to run through Noya's hair then realized, “Oh, sorry, I got some on my hands already, just separate whatever part you want, Noya-san.” 

Noya didn't even bother to look in the mirror, he reached up and pulled a section out of the front of his hair and then brushed the rest back. “This is fine,” he proclaimed. He watched Ryuu, who suddenly looked nervous. “Really, it's fine, Ryuu.” 

Ryuu looked determined to not fuck this up. He nodded and then carefully started brushing the bleach on Noya's hair. He gently worked it through the hair and then realized he didn't really know how to keep it from touching the rest of Noya's hair or his forehead. “Shit, I didn't think this through. I'll....okay I'll just hold this while we wait I guess.” 

Noya turned his eyes up to Ryuu, “It's fine, I don't think I have a bad reaction to dye and stuff. You can just drop it, Ryuu.” 

“No,” Ryuu was adamant. So they stayed like that the full 50 minutes. 

Noya tried to not think about the fact that the boy standing in front of him was his soulmate. It didn't matter anyway, because he wasn't going to let that dictate his life. But still, he really did like hanging out with Ryuu. He felt comfortable around him, and even now with the truth right in front of him, he didn't really feel like he needed to run away. It would be fine to just keep being friends, Ryuu didn't need to know. “Nee-san's gonna be pissed if we don't clean this up...” 

Ryuu's face fell as he looked around at the mess they'd made, hair all over the shower. The stuff from Noya's bleaching was all over the edge of the bath. Nee-san's hair dryer was haphazardly tossed in a mess with the cord tangled. “Ehhhhh....yeah, but damn, Noya-san! You're gonna look so cool like this!” 

Noya grinned, “Hell yeah I will!” 

~

It wasn't until much later, early in their 3rd year that Noya started to feel like maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was hurting Ryuu. In their 1st year, even early in their 2nd year, nobody would have guessed it would turn out that way, but in the end, Ryuu'd been the clear choice for Captain of the volleyball team. And Noya was so proud of him. And Tanaka was honestly great at it. But it did kind of stress him out, too. Noya found himself watching out for Ryuu on the court and off of it. 

Late one Saturday night they sat together on the floor of Noya's bedroom, video game controllers in their hands. Tanaka threw his at the floor with more force than necessary when he lost. “Damnit!”

Noya was taken aback, “Yo, Ryuu, you cool?” His eyes were wide as he looked over at his friend. 

Tanaka threw himself backwards on the floor and lay there as he moaned, “Yeah, sorry. Just kinda stressin' about the team and shit.” 

“And shit?” Noya raised his brow and then leaned back on the floor next to Ryuu. “Get it out, Ryuu.” Noya wasn't a stranger to Ryuu needing to just vent sometimes when stuff was stressing him out. Noya needed to do that sometimes too. Today it was Noya's turn to listen, no biggie. 

“So like, you know Hiroki and Ami, in our class? Hiroki knew they were soulmates for like a year and didn't say anything. What the fuck is that? Why would he do that to her? That's so fucked up man,” Ryuu explained. He balled his right hand into a fist and punched it into his left palm. “Damn it! That pisses me off!” 

Noya focused on the ceiling and tried to form his words, “Why are you so invested in it, Ryuu? I didn't think you were close to either of them.” 

“You don't get it! You don't have a soulmate, Noya-san! I'm like, every day I wonder where that person is. Like why is it taking so long to find them? And then I see shit like that happen and it's like....what if it's somebody I know and they're keeping it from me? What if....” he sighed and the fight left him, “What if they know we're soulmates but they don't want me, so they kept it secret?” 

Noya swallowed and a lump caught in his throat. He had to swallow again before he could speak without strain in his voice, “Nah, Ryuu! Nobody would do that to you! You're a great guy! They'll be lucky to have you! Don't stress about it, man. It'll happen when it happens, yeah?” 

Ryuu sighed again and agreed, “Yeah.... I know. Sorry. It never used to bother me, ya know?” 

“Then don't let it bug you now,” Noya offered. 

“I think I'm in love with somebody,” Ryuu said. It was simple, matter of fact. 

Noya's eyes widened and his heart raced, he tried to calm himself down. No, this was great, right? This meant you could break away from fate. You could make your own choices. “Oh? No shit!? Not your soulmate?” 

Ryuu looked pained when he said, “ Guess not.” It broke Noya's heart. 

“I....I'm sorry Ryuu. Hey look, maybe they are? Do you know for sure that they aren't? Did they say that?” Noya didn't even know why he was asking, when part of him wanted to just lift up his damn shorts and show Ryuu his thigh right then and there. 

“Said they don't have a soulmate. And besides, he's not into me anyway so I think it's a double no,” Ryuu screwed up his face in annoyance and pain. 

Noya hurt for Ryuu. But he was also oddly jealous of this mystery man who had Ryuu's heart. Noya hated it. He wasn't going to let something like who he spent his life with be decided by anything other than his own free will!! But seeing Ryuu like this...fuck....“ Aww, man. I'm sorry,” he thought for a second, “So it's somebody we know then? Maybe it would be better if you stayed away from him?” 

Ryuu winced, “Not possible. I mean, I don't even think I could do that if I wanted to. I just...I wish my soulmate would show up and then I wouldn't have to feel like shit for looking at somebody else.” He took a deep breath and amended, “No, actually I just fucking wish he was my soulmate. Fuck this.” Ryuu rolled over on his side, away from Noya. 

Noya ventured, weakly, “So...he's on the team then?” 

Ryuu tensed up next to him. “Eh, forget I said anything. It feels good to just get that off my chest. Thanks for listening, Noya-san.” 

“No problem, Ryuu,” Noya said as he stood up and turned off the light. “Anytime.” 

Ryuu rolled over onto Noya's futon and Noya climbed in next to him. Noya left plenty of space between them this time though. Ryuu yawned, “Thanks.” 

“Anytime...Ryuu.” 

~

Noya did listen to Ryuu a lot as time went on. And Ryuu listened to Noya a lot too. Late night conversations drifted to thoughts of the future and eventually to what they considered their best idea yet. Their shared apartment in Sendai was close to the bar Ryuu worked at, and the screen printing shop where Noya worked was only a 10 minute bus ride. 

It was late in August when Noya was finally so comfortable, he got careless. For years he covered the part of his mark that stuck out past the end of his boxer-briefs. But some days he forgot, and today was one of them. He didn't think much of it when he walked into the living-room in his underwear to grab his phone off the coffee table. 

As Noya reached for his phone the front door opened behind him. “Oh, hey Ryuu! You're home early.” 

Tanaka slipped off his shoes and tossed his coat on the table by the genkan. “Yeah, slow day,” Tanaka explained. 

Noya laughed as he plopped down on the sofa and put his leg up on the coffee table. “Yeah, bars are kinda slow during the day. Why did he schedule two people?” 

Tanaka focused on Noya as he tried to shake off the day, “Some big convention or something in town. Thought there'd be a lot of people there for lunch or somethin'.” 

“Ahhhh,” Noya hummed in affirmation as he leaned back and stretched. “Makes sense.” He reached down and scratched his thigh absentmindedly. 

Tanaka's eyes followed Noya's hand and narrowed as he noticed the odd shaped spot of black peaking out of Noya's underwear. “N...Noya? I didn't know you had a birthmark....” 

Noya froze and his heart stopped. “I uh....Ryuu, look it's not what you thin....”

Recognition dawned on Tanaka's face and he practically dove at Noya. Noya didn't move, he knew it was happening, and yet he knew he didn't really want to stop it. Ryuu carefully rolled up the right leg of Noya's underwear and stared. Ryuu's fingers trembled as he choked out, “Noya...you...we....” Tears filled Ryuu's eyes and without any more hesitation he wrapped his arms around Noya. “Oh god, I'm so happy it's you. I wanted it to be you so bad. Oh god, Noya. I knew it was impossible, because you didn't have a soulmate and it...it's really you and....” he suddenly pulled away as he realized. His face fell as he whispered, “And...you don't want me....” 

Noya's heart broke. He never wanted to see Ryuu like this. Ryuu deserved everything and all of the love in the world and, “Oh god, Ryuu, I didn't mean...I just...” he focused his eyes on Ryuu's and said, “I'm sorry.” 

Ryuu sank down into the sofa next to Noya and his shoulders hung forward miserably. “Am I....not...good eno....”

Noya reached out and grabbed Ryuu's shoulders and shook him, pleaded with him, “Ryuu! No! I'm sorry! I...” Noya pulled his hands away and fell back into the sofa, palms resting face up on his thighs, helplessly. “I always wanted it to be a choice, you know? I just didn't like the idea that some fate or destiny or whatever bullshit decided without my say who I was going to love. That's just so shitty, Ryuu. It's my life, don't I get a say?” 

Ryuu whispered, “I'd never force you....” Noya looked over at him and searched his face. Misery was written on every corner of it. Noya hated himself for causing it. 

“Ryuu...do you love me?” Noya's eyes didn't waver as he asked. 

Ryuu's face switched to determination. “Yes! Of course, how could I not be in love with y....” 

“No, Ryuu. That's not what I mean, I mean...” Noya sighed. “Do you love me?” His eyes narrowed as if willing Ryuu to understand. To figure it out. To forgive him. 

Ryuu sat in silence and stared back. He dug through his brain for the answer. Finally he offered, “2nd year.” 

Noya's eyebrows raised but he looked hopeful, “Huh?” 

Ryuu swallowed and continued, “It was at the start of our 2nd year. You were suspended and off the club for a month. And it killed me, Noya. I missed you so much. Like you were....we were...ugh.” He fought for the words, “Like a pair, you know? Partners! We worked together great and we had fun and we just...went together...and when you weren't there I realized. I think the moment it hit me that I was in love with you, like...head-over-heels-gone-for-good-no-fucking-hope, in love with you...was when you came back and I saw you all covered in those bruises.” 

Noya's jaw dropped, “What? But...”

“It's just, you were so amazing. And I had missed you so much. And I saw those bruises covering you and I just wanted to hug you and make them go away, but also I was so in awe of you that I just...I couldn't do anything other than cry. I...god Noya...I missed you. And when it really sunk in that you weren't my soulmate it kind of...well...god it sucked, Noya.” Ryuu's hands trembled on his lap. 

Noya reached out and wrapped his hands around Ryuu's. “Ryuu...I'm so sorry. I...” Noya shook his head and then determined with his _choice_ he pushed forward. “A bit before graduation.” Noya moved closer to Ryuu and offered his heart, “It was around graduation, before we decided to get a place together. You had all this talk about maybe you needed to go somewhere else. Maybe that's where your future was, and I... didn't want to lose you. I couldn't lose you, Ryuu. You're like...” Noya sighed. “Ryuu, you're everything. And you're like everything I didn't know I needed. It sounds silly and dumb and lame but, dude, you like...complete me or something.” Noya laughed, “Oh god that's so fucking sappy.” 

It was Ryuu's turn to be shocked, “But...then...why?”

Noya squeezed Ryuu's hands in his own. “I already had the best friend in the world and I wanted him to love _me_ , not this sweet dragon mark I've got on my thigh,” Noya laughed. 

Ryuu smiled and blushed as he realized, “So then, you mean?” 

Noya grinned and said, “God, Ryuu. I'm so sorry. But I'm just so happy you love me! I mean, _me_ , not because you have to, or anything, just...because I'm me. Ryuu...I love you.” Noya beamed at him.

Tears started to stream down Ryuu's face and Noya leaned in and kissed them away. Ryuu gently pulled Noya's lips down to his own and kissed him. First it was gentle and Noya could feel the years of longing as Ryuu savored the moment. Then Ryuu got greedy and demanded more, and finally, _finally_ , Noya was happy to oblige. Their tongues clashed and fought and eventually Noya won. Ryuu pulled back, though, and grinned, “Noya...”

Noya laughed, “Yuu, man. Call me Yuu.” 

Tanaka blushed and whispered, “Yuu.” He leaned his head down and rested his forehead against Noya's. Tanaka looked down and smiled, “You're a little excited.” 

“Yeah! I am!” Noya laughed, “I'm not ashamed. I've loved you for a long time now, Ryuu. I just...wanted you to fall for me too.” 

“Can I...see it?” Tanaka realized what he said and then backpedaled, “The mark I mean! The mark!” 

Noya laughed so hard his sides hurt, “Ryuu, you can see the mark, but you can see everything too, ya know. If you want.” 

Ryuu's blush made his whole face and neck and head seem pink, but he nodded. Noya grinned and peeled off his underwear and then plopped back onto the sofa. Ryuu's eyes noticed everything, but they settled on the neatly formed dragon on the inside of Noya's right thigh. “It really is...it's exactly the same, Noya.” 

“Yeah, it is, Ryuu.” Noya smiled and then added, “You're my dragon, Ryuu!” 

Ryuu's fingers gently brushed over the mark and Noya shivered. Ryuu traced the outline with his finger and then dragged his thumb over it as if to wash it away or smudge it. The mark didn't change. “Hey, Yuu?” 

“Hm?” 

“Say it again.” 

Noya thought for a moment, “Tanaka Ryuunosuke, my best friend, I love you, with all my heart.” Noya beamed at him, “My dragon.” 

 

**_“Like...a friend?”_ **

**_“The best friend you'll ever have, Yuu,” she laughed._ **

**Author's Note:**

> I did a very minor edit to this work on 1/3/2019. I spent a month in Japan in 2018, after I'd written this, and the fact that the bathroom setup I described in the hair dying scene really doesn't match up with the reality of bathrooms in Japan has bugged me ever since. So I tweeked a few things to help it line up with reality a bit more. 
> 
> Thanks for understanding! <3


End file.
